Thursday, September 19, 2013

New Music Together® Singalong Storybook May All Children for Ages 1 to 7 to be Released on United Nations International Day of Peace

100 percent of proceeds September 20 to 22 will be donated to UNICEF

Fourth Singalong Storybook from award-winning,

pioneering music educator

Princeton, NJ, August 28, 2013 — The international early childhood music education program Music Together® has announced the September 20, 2013, release of its fourth children’s book, MAY ALL CHILDREN (ages 1 to 7, baby to second grade; 32 pages; Board Book $9.95 ISBN: 978-0-9855719-7-9; Hardback $13.95 ISBN: 978-0-9855719-6-2). The book will debut as part of Music Together’s support of the United Nations International Day of Peace, September 21, 2013, and all proceeds from the first weekend of sales (September 20 to 22) will support UNICEF.

MAY ALL CHILDREN inspires pre-literacy learning and imaginative play between children and their favorite adults. It is the fourth singalong storybook from Music Together, which launched the multiple award–winning, critically acclaimed books in 2012. Previous titles were Hello, Everybody!,She Sells Sea Shells, and One Little Owl.

MAY ALL CHILDREN tells the story of children from all walks of life sharing a simple, heartfelt wish for peace for everybody on our earth. The illustrations and message of this beautiful book are an excellent conversation-starter for families on what it means to have peaceful hearts and minds. The book is based on the popular lullaby of the same name, written by Music Together Founder/Director Kenneth K. Guilmartin and featured on

the award-winning

Music Together Family Favorites and Lullabies CDs.

In addition to reading the story of MAY ALL CHILDREN, readers will enjoy singing along (song sheet and a free song download are included with book purchase). The book includes fun activity suggestions designed to further stimulate learning, exploration, and music-making between child and reader.

The stunning illustrations by Kristina Swarner add to the warmth and depth of the song and the story’s global message.

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this academic year (2012-2013), Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children birth through age seven. The Music Together curriculum, coauthored in 1987 by Kenneth K. Guilmartin (Founder/Director) and Rowan University Professor of Music Education Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz (Director of Research), is based on the recognition that all children are musical: all children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

Music Together offers programs for families; schools; at-risk populations; and children with special needs, in over 2000 communities in 40 countries. The company is committed to bonding children and their caregivers through music and helping people discover the joy and critical educational value of early music experiences.

Win an iPad Mini Back to School Pack and a year’s worth of school supplies from Lily Lapp!

Go back to school with Lily Lapp!Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating the final book in the Adventures of Lily Lapp series, A Surprise for Lily, with a "Back to School with Lily Lapp" giveaway. Enter between 9/16 - 9/30 for a chance to win a year's worth of school supplies ($100 Target gift card), an iPad Mini, a set of the Lily books, and a Lily coloring book! Ten chances to win! (One winner will receive the back-to-school pack, 4 winners will receive a set of the Lily books and a coloring book, and 5 winners will receive a copy of Lily and a coloring book.)Enter below using the widget! Only those in the U.S. are eligible to win.*Bonus Book Giveaway Activity* Share Lily with your local library or a young reader! Sign up to send out 10 stamped postcards to young readers or suggest a purchase to your library, and Suzanne will select 30 participants to win a signed Life with Lily book. (Fill out the short form here!)

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

No share time! Only one recess! Writing is hard! The stories don't end right! FIRST GRADE STINKS!

It is the first day of school and Hayley is excited. Things are different now. She isn't a kindergartener anymore; she is a big kid. She is a first grader.

Hayley quickly finds out that first grade is different from kindergarten, but in all the wrong ways! The classroom isn't as bright and colorful. Ms. Gray doesn't seem to smile as much as her kindergarten teacher Ms. Lacey did. The work is hard and there isn't enough time to play outside. Worst of all, her best friend Ryan says he likes first grade! Finally, Hayley has had enough. "First grade stinks!" she shouts. The classroom is suddenly very quiet. "You're in trouble now," Ryan whispers. But to Hayley's surprise Ms. Gray doesn't look mad at all.

Young readers will immediately empathize with Hayley and her increasing apprehension, as she tries to negotiate new expectations and challenges on the first day of a new school year.

Mary Ann Rodman, a former school media specialist, is the author of A Tree for Emmy and First Grade Stinks!. She has received both the Ezra Jack Keats Award for Outstanding New Picture Book Writer and the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She lives in Georgia.

Beth Spiegel has edited award-winning documentary programs for television and directed animated films that have received several international awards. She lives in California.

BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY

U.S. residents only

Provided by Peachtree Publishers

Win a Hardcover Copy of

FIRST GRADE STINKS!

1 Winner

Just leave a comment below with your email.

(I need your email to contact you if you are the winner)

ENDS September 22nd, 2013

Winner announced on September 23rd, 2013

My Thoughts:

Haley and her friend Ryan were so excited as they stepped off the school bus. Haley thought Kindergarten was so much fun and knew First Grade was going to be even better because she is a big kid now. But when her new teacher welcomed her into the classroom there was nothing on the walls and there was a lot of desk in the room one for each student. The teacher said they needed to get to work. Haley did not know you had to work in the First Grade. It was not fun writing the letters A and B. Then the teacher starting reading them a story but stopped without finishing the story. They didn't even get to take an early recess. This resulted in Haley standing up and screaming, "First grade stinks!" this got the teacher's attention real quick.

What do you think the teacher will say to Haley? The story is far from over, so be sure to grab a copy of this book and find out what happens next.

The author has written a very realistic story that most children will relate to as they start a new grade level. The story has humor with an element of surprise. Kids will like the illustrations which depicts the story so well that little ones will be able to interpret the story just by turning the pages. But it is even better when the book is read before each page is turned.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Wipe clean and start again! Seventy-two pages of wipe clean fun activities with a short Bible story at the top of each page and the related activity below.

Help children learn while discovering their favorite Bible stories through mazes, dot to dots, spot the mistake, and many more. The laminated pages can be wiped clean for use again and again and includes a felt-tip pen so children can get started right away.

Juliet David has written many children’s stories and Bible activity books. Her other interests include painting, music, and travel to Israel and other Bible lands. This experienced author lives in London with her family.

About Illustrator:

Marie Allen grew up drawing characters and illustrating fun books for friends and family, and her dream was to someday publish a children's book. She has studied graphic design and illustration and gained experience working on stationery, puzzles, greeting cards, maps, and posters, as well as numerous children's books. She lives in Manchester, England.

My Thoughts:Fun activities for kids starting in the beginning with Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark to Jesus riding a donkey to Jerusalem. It has so many activities like dot to dot, match ups, find the way, what belongs in this picture, trace numbers and more. Comes with a felt-tip pen and the book has a wipe clean surface on each page.

This would be good to take on car, plane or train trips. Take to Church to keep the kiddos busy. Grandparents you need one to keep at your house for when the grandkids come to visit. The author and illustrator worked together to create activities and images that will peak the child's imagination and keep them entertained while they learn about stories from the bible and other skills. I look forward to some fun time with this book and my grandkids.I highly recommend this book.I rated this book a 5 out of 5

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Daddy and Mommy Fiend want their little Filbert to be gruesome and ghastly, but he won’t trample or terrify, roar or holler. He’d much rather help an old lady with her bags or go bird-watching. What are they to do with him? When Filbert starts school, he quickly learns that good behavior isn’t tolerated in class, and he is banished outside until he can act like a proper little fiend. Suddenly a little angel appears, flying fast and furious until...bump! Could this naughty Angel-School dropout be just the friend Filbert needs? Could they find a way together to make everyone accept them as they are?

About Hiayn Oram:Hiawyn Oram is a very successful author of children's books in Britain. Her books include the popular Not-So-Grizzly Bear Stories, the Animal Heroes series, and Mona the Vampire. She lives in London.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hiawynoram

About Jimmy Liao:Jimmy Liao (Chinese Name: Lao Fu-Bin, 廖福彬) born in Taipei, B.A. in Fine Arts, with a major in Design. He had worked in advertising companies for 12 years. Now he works as an illustrator. Since 1998, Jimmy published several illustrated books with amazing originality and multi-faceted narratives. He had since set a fashion in creating and publishing illustrated books in local and international markets. Utilizing images as a refreshing form of literary language, Jimmy creates in his works poetic frames that emit charms and appeals.

He has published seventeenth popular books so far, and they are translated into English, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean and so forth. Being the most popular illustrator author in Asia, creating lots of fantasy and touch hearts cross all generation, however, with low profile personality, he enjoys the family time more, lives a tranquil life and devotes most of his time to work. Immersing in his works is just like to go into Jimmy's inner world, his inviting stories reflect the reality of real life, more and more people are intoxicated by his vivid strokes and his magic realism narratives. Now in Asia, Jimmy becomes vogue of the time, beyond his stories, "Jimmy" is like a pop of a new life style.

My ThoughtsFilbert's parents expected him to be bad to bone. You see they are a family of fiends. What is a fiend?. Well let me tell show you a definition online @ Oxford Dictionary fiend is a noun

an evil spirit or demon.

a wicked or cruel person:a fiend thirsty for blood and revenge

a person causing mischief or annoyanceyou little fiend!

Sounds scary for sure! There is one problem, Filbert is a good fiend, which is totally unacceptable. His parents are the scariest of scary and try everything to make him bad, mean and scary with no luck, so they send him to a Bad School, literally, . He refused to join in on the mayhem of his mean and bad classmates. Even his teacher was fiendish and when he was found being good she sent him outside to the mean spot. But in actuality very peaceful wasn't at all like a punishment, it made him feel good.

Florinda is an Angel but she does not act like an Angel. Angels are good and kind, right? Florinda is not always good and kind. So on one such occasion she was sent home from Angel School. When flying home Florinda collides with a tree and nearly falls into Filbert's lap, to say the least, they were both shocked. As they discussed their similar problems they decided to trade places, Filbert as an Angel and Florinda as a fiend. What do you think their classmates will think of their change?

Well I'm not going to reveal the ending of the story, you will have to read the book. Plus, you will want to see the illustrations that are out of this world, and will take you into the world of the fiendish and the Angelic. The author has created some very cute characters. It is funny how the authors worked together and made a monster cute and an Angel scary looking.

Sometimes we must take the good with a little of the bad. Another analogy is, sweet and sour, I love sweet and sour things together.

I highly recommend this book. I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Candlewick Press for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Friday, September 13, 2013

School’s out, and Max is gearing up for a summer of baseball with his friends. He’s expecting fun in the sun and long, lazy days. But to his surprise, he finds himself transported to a strange and wonderful world after chewing magical blueberry bubble gum—bubble gum his parents warned him not to chew! Join Max in his adventures through Blueberry Bubble Gum World and meet the fascinating creatures who live there—the Blueberry Boy, King Erudition, and the lumpy, moldy green evil Waywards. Will Max learn his lesson and find his way home? Find out in this thrilling journey!

About the Author

Mahamad Ali ElFakir was born in Detroit, Michigan, in January of 1975. He is an entrepreneur who works hard for his family. He is blessed with his wonderful wife and amazing children. Blueberry Bubble Gum was inspired by his children and is his first of many books to come. He says, "A child's imagination can inspire anyone.

My Thoughts

I am not really sure what my opinion is about this book. There are lessons in this book to be learned about deceit , lies and disobeying your parents. Kids will like this story about a boy named Max that has a blueberry bubble gum bubble blow out the rear of his pajamas sending him flying to an adventure in Blueberry Bubble Gum Worldwhere he sees strange creatures.I know for a fact kids will enjoy the book because my young grandkids did crack-up over the story. No pun intended !

My grandkids highly recommend this book! I am old school and find it inappropriate but who listens to me. This is for the children it will get their attention and teach a lesson at the same time. That is exactly what this book does.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Outskirt Press/elfa books for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

When Edgar's family moves to a new town, everything seems strange and scary. The kids look different. They dress weird. They listen to bizarre music. They eat strange food. And the biggest, weirdest looking kid keeps staring at Edgar. What does he want?

As Edgar soon learns, sometimes you have to rise above your fears to make a new friend. And sometimes that friend may be the last person - or alien - you'd expect.Where to buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

Kevin Luthardt is the author-illustrator of several books, including Larabee, Peep! and Flying! He is an artist and muralist whose work appears in galleries and other venues. He received a BFA from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He lives in Illinois.

My ThoughtsEdgar was happy and enjoyed his life. Quincy was Edgar's best friend and they liked playing together and building things. But his life was about to change, his parents informed him they were going to move. This was horrible he couldn't move, he would miss Quincy.

When they arrived at there new home it was scary and strange, especially the people. His school was even weird and the kids were weird and scary. Then came Cecil he was really big and scary.

There are lessons to be learned in this story about making new friends and that different isn't actually a bad thing. Different can be adventurous and fun. It is a good back to school or starting a new school for the first time book.

The illustrations told the story without needing words which will be a big plus for children that are not yet reading. But you will want to read the book to them and experience the lessons and fun within the pages.

I recommend this book.I rated this book a 4 out of 5.Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Follow the rollicking, surreal adventures of a young boy as he races to get to school on time.

Smitty is never late for school. Not when his shoes get stuck in a sea of thick, black tar. Not when the sky rains snowmen down on the city streets. Not when he uses his coat for a sail to catch a gale and is swallowed up by a whale. Or when he encounters a robot from Mars eating up cars…or a very, very hungry T. Rex!

With rhyming language and a vivid imagination, author Mike Reiss demonstrates that, for some children, getting to school on time can be an adventure. Illustrator Michael Austin's humorous, exaggerated images colorfully bring to life the mischievous fun of the text.

The surprise ending will delight young readers as they cheer on Smitty and his heroic efforts to beat the school bell.

About AuthorMike Reiss has garnered top awards as a television writer, including four Emmys and a Peabody for his work on The Simpsons. Reiss is also the author of several children's books. A former president of The Harvard Lampoon and editor of The National Lampoon, Reiss lives in California.

About Illustrator

Michael Austin, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, is a creative director and the illustrator of several books. He lives in Georgia.

Smitty awakes his mind in a whirl the clock says 8am and if he does not hurry he will be late for school and he is never late for school. As he readies himself for school and rushes out the door he meets many obstacles determined to make him late for school. But he perseveres determined not to be late. How can he get there in time if he lost his shoes on the way or the streets began to flood. Then there is the escaped gorilla that hung him upside down until Smitty gave him a banana and the gorilla drop him for the snack. Will Smitty make it to school on time and how many excuses will he come up with to appease his teacher?This was a fun rhyming tale that kids will want to read over and over again. The author had some very good excuses for Smitty being late school and the illustrations were bold and in your face which will pull the child into the book until the last page is read. They will want to tell all there friends about the funny Late to School picture book.I highly recommend this book.I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.